Chinese food delivery riders' uniform wins gold at French Design Awards

(ECNS) -- A uniform designed for food delivery riders in China has won a gold award at the 2026 French Design Awards, with its designer saying the aim was to give riders a stronger sense of dignity and professional identity.

The Taobao Flash City Knight uniform received the gold award at the 2026 French Design Awards ceremony in Paris, marking the first time the award has been presented to uniforms designed for frontline workers, according to the organizers. The jury praised the design for giving food delivery riders, a profession deserving of respect, a distinctive professional identity.

Designer Yang Tao said giving delivery riders a greater sense of dignity was at the heart of the design. Despite persistent stereotypes surrounding the profession, uniforms have long served as symbols of professional identity for workers in many respected occupations.

"Chefs and flight attendants have uniforms. Why shouldn't delivery riders have one designed specifically for them?" Yang said, adding that uniforms should be designed with the people who wear them in mind.

Yang also revealed that Alibaba founder Jack Ma was closely involved in the design process. Ma regularly asked about the project's progress, offered suggestions and took part in fittings and fabric testing.

Yang said France was once a birthplace of blue-collar workwear culture, while in China, the uniform has helped millions of delivery riders become part of what he described as a new "orange-collar" workforce, contributing to new ways of working and a new workplace culture.

(By Evelyn)